Hands-On Skills Fair, Year 8! One of my all-time favorite events is coming up again, but I won’t be in Seattle to enjoy it. It’s the Hands-on Skills Fair by Sustainable NE Seattle. The idea of this event is to allow neighbors to teach neighbors various skills so that the community […] Read more

Happy New Year, everyone! I’m feeling pretty eco-unfriendly after flying across the Atlantic for a 10-day holiday visit. But that’s what I get for not living near my immediate family. Eco-tip: don’t leave your hometown! (Seriously. Don’t move to a new faraway city just for fun. And if you still have […] Read more

AirBnB has become our latest entry point into the peer-to-peer sharing economy. We have enjoyed meeting travelers from near and far and learning about all the reasons why people come to Seattle. Last week, we had a chef from NYC who apparently did all his cooking for a catering gig […] Read more

What is Mushroom Maynia? It’s a super cute event hosted by the Puget Sound Mycological Society (PSMS) in May of each year, and this year, it’s May 21st, 2017 — this coming Sunday! I had a lovely time last year, but I never got around to posting my photos. So I […] Read more

This is a post for those who like to scrimp and save wherever possible. And also for folks who are new to Seattle or want to learn about how our pay-as-you-throw system works. We get billed once every two weeks for household waste collection according to what size bins and […] Read more

After getting home from more than 5 weeks away, it was nice to find enough in the pantry for a few days of eating without having to go to the store. When I did finally go, I brought lots of produce bags and a few glass jars with me and came home […] Read more

Sad news, folks: We caved and bought a second car. It was kind of bound to happen since Grandpa moved out with his car and the kiddo started attending pre-school at the bottom of a huge cliff with no bus access. We did manage to put it off for six months. […] Read more

I’m a fan of Etsy (Etsy.com) for so many reasons. Here’s the latest one, and a review of all the others, too! Reason #1: Etsy has built a Living Building in Brooklyn! I had the pleasure of touring the Bullitt Center in Seattle a couple of years ago with a group of […] Read more

Getting a pellet stove has been a dream of mine for a while now, and this winter, I finally made it happen. We wanted a heating solution that would heat the basement more than the rest of the house, since it is just always extra chilly down there. Last fall, […] Read more

Wow, Kenya! The East African country joins at least 8 other African nations in banning plastic bags, which litter the streets and harm wildlife. Kenya has banned the manufacture, import and distribution of all plastic bags for commercial & household use. Of course the manufacturers are up in arms about this, […] Read more

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I'm Julia.

I'm an educator and concerned citizen of the world who's decided to spend more time developing a sustainable mindset and lifestyle.

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Hello, I’m Julia. I am a researcher, writer, language teacher and household manager in Seattle. In the past, I traveled the world, but now I let my anthropologist friends, colleagues and former students do it for me. Through their eyes and yours, I re-think how our species can slow and stop climate change and contamination of our ecosystem. I write about sustainable lifestyles around the world, new green technology, organic food and gardening, reusable products, and ways to reduce our waste and energy use.